The Plain of Sorrows
Author: Milady Dragon
Disclaimer: I just want to play awhile, and I promise to put the toys back with a minimum of wear. If I owned anything having to do with Earth 2, it never would have been cancelled in the first place.
Rating: PG-13. I refuse to apologize for any naughty language that might crop up. I'm a firm believer that a little cursing is good for the blood pressure and the sanity.
Summary: When Eden Advance comes face-to-face with the mother of all mountain ranges, the only way through might just lead to something that shouldn't be disturbed…
Author's notes: First of all, I want to thank Lady Kate for encouraging me to dust off this thing and let it breathe once more. It would still be hidden in the recesses of my not-too-stable imagination (and cardboard box) if it hadn't been for her. Just be careful what you wish for…bwah hahahahah!
Chapter One
He was going to strangle her!
John Danziger trudged down the gorge, the mountains sides rising like cathedral walls above him. He attempted to shift the Mag-Pro onto his opposite shoulder, but the strap caught on the gear that he'd knuckled under to pressure and had taken with him. Snarling, the mechanic stopped and untangled, cursing under his breath to the point where he was shocked that the air wasn't blue.
Damn Devon Adair's bossy, bitchy self!
It was getting dark; the walls of the gorge cutting off the sunlight. If he'd been outside the narrow passage, it would have been mid-afternoon. However, where Danziger found himself now was taking on the shadows of twilight. He settled his shades onto the top of his head. Why the hell was he there?
Of course, the easy answer was that he simply had to get away from Adair. That woman was impossible! Did she think, just because she needed to get to New Pacifica that the planet would simply bend itself to her will? That whatever obstacles were put in her path would just vanish under her withering distain?
Not bloody likely!
It was the reason John Danziger found himself surrounded by unmovable stone. Adair couldn't just go around the mountain range; oh, no, she had to go through it! He could still hear the argument that had broken out among the Eden Advance crew at Devon's announcement that it would take far too long to go around the range, which according to Yale – who kept the topographical maps of G889 -- had stretched almost the entire length of the continent.
It would take too long to go around, Devon had replied. We're too far behind as it is.
What would have happened if they hadn't discovered this pass? Would she have tunneled through the mountains with her bare hands?
Danziger honestly wouldn't have put it past her. That woman was so headstrong and stubborn…it really pissed him off sometimes. Okay, most of the time. It wasn't as if he were an idiot, he knew they had to get to New Pacifica before the colony ship, but that didn't give her the right to treat him like a red-headed stepchild!
They'd been traveling for three days when they'd found this passage. Devon had wanted to head right into it, without knowing what lay at the other end. He'd fought with her, finally pulling out his only wild-card: if the Trans Rover had gotten stuck in the gorge, where would they be? Best to scout it first…
Danziger had immediately volunteered to do the scouting. Devon had insisted he take someone with him; luckily the few who would have stepped forward saw the look on his face and had gracefully declined. Devon had been about to order one of them to accompany him, and it was only his promise to wear his gear that had gotten her to back off.
Truth to tell, he needed to be alone. Danziger needed to calm down. Adair always managed to get him so wound up he didn't know if he was going to slap her sensible or kiss her senseless. This was the major reason he enjoyed his lone scouts…it gave him the opportunity to step back and regain his self-control. Having her around drove him absolutely nuts!
Well, best get on with it then. He shrugged the Mag-Pro up farther onto his right shoulder, careful this time not to get it caught on his headset again. If his guesstimate was right, the Trans Rover would fit down the passage with a little room to spare. So far, so good. He kept walking, hoping to come to the end soon. It was getting even darker, and he hadn't brought a light with him.
Danziger guessed that he'd gone about a kilometer. The walls seemed to be getting a little wider, and the stone path he was on was starting to slope downward. His steps quickened, and he thought that perhaps he was finally coming out of the mountains. At least, he hoped so.
Suddenly, the walls opened up ahead of him. The sunlight hit him straight in the eyes, and Danziger had to blink to clear the spots. He dragged the shades down to cut the glare.
Before him was an open plain, so wide he couldn't see to the other side. Brilliant green grass swayed in the breeze, rippling like waves upon the ocean. No trees marred the utter flatness of the terrain.
John actually felt a sense of relief. Yes, he was a little piqued that Devon would be proven right, once again, but even he had to admit he hadn't been looking forward to the long trip around. A part of him had actually hoped the gorge would be a dead end…but then, that was just childish. After all, he was an adult. He could admit when he was wrong.
He was about to turn back and rejoin the group, when something odd caught his eye. At the point where the mountain walls tapered off to join the plain, a post with a strange rounded tip protruded from the rock itself. John moved closer, his curiosity getting the better of his common sense.
As the mechanic neared the object, he realized that the knob at the top of the post wasn't actually a part of the wood. It swayed a little in the wind that blew into the mouth of the gorge. It was also a different color, almost like ivory…
That's when he truly saw it for the first time.
Danziger stepped back in horror. He pulled the gear up from around his neck, activating it only after three tries. He waited just long enough for Devon to acknowledge him, then he murmured, "You'd better get in here and see this…"